The tragedy of Scott Dinsmore on Kilimanjaro: the life and death of a man who inspired the world

Scott Dinsmore helped hundreds of thousands of people find work they loved and live boldly — until his own life was cut short at just 33.

Scott devoted his life to inspiring others to change. An entrepreneur, speaker, and motivator, he brought together people who were driven not by what they “had” to do, but by what lit them up inside. That’s how Live Your Legend (LYL) was born — a global community of people who refused to settle for the daily grind and pursued work that inspired them. His 2012 TEDx talk, “How to Find and Do Work You Love,” became a viral hit and remains one of the top 10 most-viewed TEDx talks of all time.

But on September 12, 2015, Scott Dinsmore’s life came to a tragic end. It happened in Tanzania, during his ascent of Kilimanjaro. In this new article from Altezza Travel, we share the story of a man who inspired others to change their lives fearlessly — and who remained true to that mission until the end.

Who was Scott Dinsmore, and why did he become famous?

Scott was born on October 15, 1983, in San Francisco, California. Even as a teenager, he knew the standard life path wasn’t for him. Whether he was in a Berkeley classroom or a corporate boardroom, the same question always echoed in his mind: “What’s the point of all this?”

Yet Scott followed a fairly traditional path: high school, then college, where he graduated in the top 5% of his class. After that, he spent a year teaching English in Spain. That year changed everything. He noticed that in Spain, people “worked to live,” not the other way around. That simple observation reshaped his values and planted the first seed of what would later become a global movement.

Scott tried working in marketing, consulting, and startups. But the higher he climbed the corporate ladder, the more he felt it was leaning against the wrong wall. He didn’t want to help companies earn millions — he wanted to help people stop losing themselves.

Before founding Live Your Legend, Scott started a blog called Reading For Your Success, where he reviewed personal development books. It gained little attention — his only readers were his wife, Chelsea Dinsmore, and his parents. It stung, he admitted, but it helped him find his voice.

That experience led to the launch of Live Your Legend in 2010 — not just a blog, but a platform for people who believed they were meant for more. A space for those who wanted to break free from the “office coma” and live consciously and courageously.

Scott dreamed of giving a TEDx talk to spread his message, but getting that opportunity wasn’t easy. It only came when two speakers dropped out just days before the event. He got the call six days before the conference — could he step in? In that short time, he crafted a talk that became one of TEDx’s most iconic.

Scott wasn’t some distant guru preaching from a podium. He lived what he taught. In 2015, he and his wife, Chelsea, sold their home in San Francisco and embarked on a round-the-world journey. They visited more than 20 countries — living out Scott’s philosophy of embracing each day and seizing every chance to truly feel alive.

Live Your Legend

When Scott launched Live Your Legend, he wasn’t trying to build a cult following. He just wanted to answer a question that wouldn’t leave him alone: why do so many people spend their lives doing work they hate?

The answer was too big for one blog — it became a global movement. LYL was born out of Scott’s own crisis, when he walked away from corporate life. He began studying people who truly loved what they did — and over time, turned their practices into a step-by-step system: from identifying personal values to building a career around them.

Eventually, the LYL community grew to include several popular sub-projects, including:

• Live Your Legend Toolkit — 11 steps to help you discover your skills, passions, and how to turn them into a career.
• Live Your Legend Course — paid programs for building a career around what inspires you. These ran until 2015.

By 2014, Live Your Legend had grown to over 250 local clubs (Local LYL Meetups) across more than 70 countries. People met in person, exchanged ideas, and supported one another.

Scott’s core message was simple but powerful. It can be summed up in just a few key ideas:

• Understand who you are
• Don’t be afraid to start over
• Surround yourself with people who lift you up
• Do work you can be proud of

After Scott’s death in 2015, Chelsea continued the project. Though LYL's activity later declined, its impact endured. Tens of thousands changed careers, hundreds started businesses, and millions came to believe it’s possible to make a living doing what you love.

Live Your Legend was never about money or surviving the corporate grind. It was about something deeper — the courage to live a life that feels real.

How did Scott Dinsmore die?

In January 2015, Scott and Chelsea left their San Francisco home — not just for a trip, but to live as they taught: fearlessly and with open hearts. In eight months, they visited over 20 countries.

The final stop was Tanzania. The tragedy occurred on September 12, 2015, during their ascent of Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa. On the sixth day of the ascent, along the dangerous Western Breach route, a sudden rockfall hit their group at around 5,790 meters (18,996 feet). One boulder struck Scott fatally. Chelsea tried to help, but there was nothing she could do. Scott Dinsmore’s death at just 33 years old shocked the world. Such accidents are extremely rare on Kilimanjaro.

After Scott’s death, Chelsea said, “He died doing what he loved, in one of the most awe-inspiring places on Earth.”

Scott wasn’t just climbing peaks — he was inspiring others to reach their own. His philosophy wasn’t about motivational quotes — it was about living intentionally, loving your work, and not postponing life. Even in death, that message continues to change lives.

But Scott Dinsmore’s story is also a reminder to all of us: no matter how beautiful, mountains are unpredictable. To safely reach the summit, physical fitness, mental preparation, and, most importantly, a trustworthy tour operator are essential.

The Altezza Travel team has been organizing Kilimanjaro expeditions for over 10 years. We’ve helped more than 20,000 travelers successfully reach the summit — and in all that time, we’ve never had a single fatality or even a serious injury.

We take our clients’ safety extremely seriously and do everything possible to ensure comfort along the entire journey to Uhuru Peak — the highest point on the mountain. To be fully prepared when the time comes to conquer Africa’s tallest mountain, be sure to download our packing list. It includes everything you’ll need for a safe and successful climb.

Scott Dinsmore’s legacy lives on

After Scott’s passing, the world didn’t just lose a remarkable individual — it lost a catalyst for change. Author James Clear described Scott’s life as a true source of inspiration and proof that one person really can move mountains. And Leo Babauta, writer and creator of Zen Habits — not just a colleague but a close friend — remembered him as someone who burned with inner passion and passed that spark to others.

Though Live Your Legend evolved after Scott’s death, it never faded. Its core mission remains the same: to help people discover meaningful work. Today, it’s more than a platform — it’s a movement. It lives on through online courses, communities around the world, and the stories of people who, thanks to Scott’s legacy, stopped putting life on hold.

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